February has never been this hot in Montreal!
« Montreal High Lights hits the high notes »
– Linda Mensinga, Culinary Trends 2006
« Rather than toe-numbing snow sports events, Montrealers hone in on the finer
things in life.»
– Burlington Free Press, Michelle Edelbaum, January, 12 2006
« You've got to hand it to montreal for finding many ways to brighten those
cold winter days.»
– The Boston Globe, Richard P. Carpenter, January, 8 2006
« Hot stuff in cool places»
– The Miami Herald, February, 6 2006
« From February 16 to 26 Montrealers don’t merely cope with winter, they
invite celebration with a series of cultural events [...] »
– Homefront, The Dumas Bergen travel chronicles, Fall 2005
« The festival focuses on the things the city is best-known for: food and
parties.»
– CanWest News Service, Deborah Stokes, November, 26 2005
“When it comes to festivals, Montreal knows the ropes […] In winter,
the city takes the darkness out of the season with Hydro-Quebec’s
Festival Montréal en lumière.”
– Jan Shepard, Boston Sunday Globe, January, 12 2003
“High Lights, hot city! World-class chefs and world-beat music help the
Montreal High Lights Festival warm up the coldest time of the year.”
– Jacqueline Swartz, The Globe & Mail, February, 12 2003
« A midwinter festival makes Montreal glow with a special brilliance [...] The
third annual Montreal High Lights Festival celebrates the city's greatest strengths:
gorgeous architecture, a thriving performing arts sector and a restaurant culture that
rivals that of New-York or Paris. »
– Susan Catto, New-York Times, January, 20 2002
« There is something charming about a chef being presented to the diners of a
restaurant after preparing a sublime meal and receiving an energetic round of applause.
It creates a sense of community between diner and chef. Even more fun, it creates a
real sense of occasion. [...] a fine time to experience one of North America's greatest
cities »
– Daniel Gewerz, Boston Herald, January, 27 2002
« [...] While some winter fests celebrate snow, this one aims to melt
it. [...] Magnificent and magical displays. »
– Jeanne Keller, Seven Days (Vermont), January, 9 2002
"Montreal's High Lights Festival has been brightening the dark days of
February with an eclectic program of dance, music and gastronomy.
Think of it all as a sure way of getting rid of the winter blues."
– Deirdre Kelly, The Globe and Mail, February, 17 2001
"Despite the chilly temperatures outside, Montreal has just become the hottest city
in Canada. ... All the excitement is the result of the annual HighLights Festival."
– Sandra Phillips, National Post, February, 17 2001
"Bonhomme Carnaval now has a flesh-and-blood couterpart in Montreal called Alain
Simard, the chap behind the city's popular jazz festival. A couple of years ago,
he decided that winter in Quebec's metropolis also need jazzing-up (result...) 2 1/2
week of cultural defiance, hurled like a giant snowball in the face of Jack Frost. ...
Trust Montreal to play host to such a festival. Isn't it about time Toronto made as much,
culturally, of its comparably world-class winter."
– William Littler, The Toronto Star, February, 17 2001
" ... a bright spot in the dark winter. ... The aim of Festival en lumière is to
infuse this capital of cold with a midwinter glow ... and revive friendly feeling."
– Colin Nickerson, Boston Globe, February, 14 2001